Eatery

/ˈiːtəri/ noun

Definition

A casual restaurant or café where you can go to eat.

Etymology

From 'eat' plus the productive suffix '-ery' (place where something is done), similar to 'bakery' or 'brewery.' This informal term became popular in the early 20th century as dining options became more casual.

Kelly Says

'-ery' is one of English's most productive suffixes for creating new words about places—once you know this pattern, you can instantly understand new words like 'coffee-ery' or 'pizza-ery,' even if they're made up on the spot!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.